Ian Kimble’s Dead Giveaway is a somewhat superficial and charming buddy blackout horror comedy that shows a little bit of chemistry goes a long way. I caught the film at the Philadelphia Film Festival and it stars Ruby Modine as Jill, who just wants to go to brunch with her bestie Lia (Mikaela Hoover) , but the problem is – she woke up next to a dead guy who had been stabbed to death and she needs to figure that out first. See, Jill partied a little too hard last night and is having trouble piecing together the events that unfolded the night before as folks start showing up at her door including Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) looking for their own answers and helping Jill to patch the events of the night together.
The mystery at the heart of the film is serviceable enough, but to be honest what makes this quirky indie as memorable as it is, is thanks to our two leads, who definitely feel believable as they are forced to prove their “ride or die” allegiances to one another with this situation. Lia not only reluctantly agrees to help Jill dispose of the body in the beginning of the film, but hilariously evolves into a full out accomplice throughout the runtime. These moments are played for laughs and work to further endear our duo to the audience. The only thing she won’t do however is help her cut up the body or bodies, as the story unfolds.
Dead Giveaway is essentially a way less annoying version of Snookie and JWoww trapped in a murder mystery. They’re just so damn likable you want them to not only figure it out, but meet them for brunch at the end. It’s a hilarious and bawdy good time, that surprisingly got some gore as well. That being said, I only wish Ian better utilized Scout Taylor-Compton in the narrative, whom I feel like is a real get here. She is squandered in a role that felt somewhat paper thin, especially given when this film hits streaming she’ll no doubt be the keyword entry point for most.
